Richard Shelby, R. Alabama, "Poster Child Of What's Wrong In Congress!"

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Senator Richard Shelby, R. Alabama, has often shown himself to be a huge hypocrite and he just did it again.
Shelby issued holds in the Senate on 70 Obama nominations
to, as he put it, "Get Obama's attention."
Shelby is pushing for a new military air tanker to be built by an EU company with facilities in Alabama and for a new "intelligence center" also to be placed in his state.
In other words, pure pork barrell!
Of course Republicans, Shelby among them, screamed to the high heavens about the deal President Obama made with Sen. Ben Nelson for his vote on health care.
Shelby has a history of extreme partisanship, obstructionism and just plain mean spiritedness!
For more see below:


Alabama senator drops some job holds, keeps others - washingtonpost.com


Tuesday, February 9, 2010; 9:48 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator Richard Shelby has released his "holds" on more
than 40 of President Barack Obama's nominees for top government jobs, but is
maintaining them on three nominees related to a big Air Force acquisition.
Shelby's use of the legislative tactic drew fire from the White House and senior
Democratic lawmakers last week, with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs calling
it "the poster child for how this town needs to change the way it works."
Shelby, a Republican from Alabama, dropped most of the holds on Monday, said his
spokesman, Jonathan Graffeo.
"The purpose of placing numerous holds was to get the White House's attention on
two issues that are critical to our national security -- the Air Force's aerial
refueling tanker acquisition and the FBI's Terrorist Device Analytical Center
(TEDAC)," he said.
"With that accomplished, Sen. Shelby has decided to release his holds on all but
a few nominees directly related to the Air Force tanker acquisition."
Graffeo also rejected the White House's characterization of the Air Force tanker
competition or the FBI explosives center as earmarks. Shelby wants both the
tanker and the center to be built in Alabama.
"Sen. Shelby is not seeking to determine the outcome of the competition; he is
seeking to ensure an open, fair and transparent competition that delivers the
best equipment to our men and women in uniform," Graffeo said. He said Shelby's
concerns were fully justified given the history of the tanker acquisition.
The Air Force said on Monday that it would issue final terms soon, but not
before February 23, for its third attempt to begin replacing its aging fleet of
KC-135 refueling planes.
Northrop Grumman Corp and its European partner, EADS, won a projected $35
billion deal in February 2008 to build 179 refueling tankers for the Air Force
and planned to assemble the A330-based planes in Mobile, Alabama.
The Pentagon canceled the deal in late 2008 after government auditors upheld a
protest by losing bidder Boeing.
Congress killed an earlier Air Force sole-source plan to lease and buy 100
Boeing 767-based tankers.
Northrop reiterated on Monday that it would not bid in the current competition
unless the Air Force significantly changes a draft request for proposals that
the company and its backers say is skewed to favor Boeing's smaller 767 tanker.
Shelby's office said he would maintain holds on three nominations -- Terry
Yonkers as assistant secretary of the Air Force; Frank Kendall, principal deputy
undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics; and Erin
Conaton, undersecretary of the Air Force -- until the final terms were issued.
Senator Jeff Sessions also maintains holds on two of those nominations: Kendall,
a former Raytheon Co executive, and Conaton, a top adviser to House Armed
Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, said his spokeswoman, Sarah Haley.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)